Collapsible tube construction



May 28, 1935. w. A. ROSELLE 0 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec.:51, 1954 Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The most commonly used and satisfactory container for pastes, creams,paints, etc. is formed of tin with a neck integral with. a collapsibletubular body. As the container can be used but once the cost is a factorof great importance. It is also necessary that the container beabsolutely tight-that is, it must not leak.

The main object, therefore, is to provide a container which is as cheapas possible to make and which will be entirely satisfactory to use.

I have found after much research and many experiments. a simple andsatisfactory solution of the problem which consists in forming the bodyout of a tube of suitable length and securing to it a top ofnon-metallic material.

Preferably I construct the body of the container of a suitable length oftin tubing and the top and neck of a molded composition. Such materialsare extremely diflicult to connect because of the nature of tin and thenature of the molded non-metallic composition. The tin tubing is verythin and extremely fragile and cannot be cemented to a non-metallicmaterial with any degree of security and the non-metallic top materialcannot be compressed without danger of breaking. Furthermore theconnection between the tubular body and the neck must. be very tight.

In its preferred and perfected form the invention contemplates theforming of the top of a molded non-metallic substance and providing itwith a shoulder having a slightly tapered, rounded or bevelled edge andforcing upon this shoulder the end of a tubular body which is ofslightly 1 smaller inside diameter than the outside diameter of theshoulder. This act expands the end of the tube and fits it to theshoulder without rupturing the fragile tube.

A metallic ring whose inside diameter is substantially the same as theoutside diameter of the tube is forced over the expanded end of the tubeoutside of the shoulder. This forcing action compresses the material ofthe tube and slightly expands the ring so that the parts are securelyand permanently united.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a construction embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view and partial section showing the parts beforeassembling.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing another step inthe assembly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale showing the jointbetween the parts of the completed device.

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing a. modification.

The body 1 of the container is formed of cylindrical tubing cut off tosuitable length and closed at the bottom in any suitable manner. 5

The top portion is formed of suitable molded composition such as aphenolic condensation product and is provided with an outlet or tipportion 8 suitably constructed for any desired type of closure.

The outer rim terminates in a cylindrical shoulder 9 whose edge isrounded, tapered or bevelled at ID. A flange ll extends somewhat beyondthe shoulder 9.

The anchorage ring i2 is formed of suitable l5 material such as steel.

The invention is not confined in its broad aspect to specific materialsor specific dimensions.

As an illustration of dimensions suitable for a small sized containerthe tube may be formed of tin 1 inch in outside diameter with the wall.005 of an inch thick. The top member in such a case may have theshoulder 1.015 inches in diameter and the shoulder may be .125 inch inheight. The ring to go with these parts may be 1.02 inches in insidediameter and 1.06 inches in outside diameter, the width of the ringbeing .062 inch.

From this it will be seen that as the shoulder of the top portion is notcompressible the end of the tube will have to be expanded in order toforce it on to the shoulder. This expansion will make the outsidediameter of the expanded tube 1.025 inches which is .005 inch largerthan the inside diameter of the ring. When the ring is forced in place,therefore, it must slightly expand and slightly compress the end of thetube. The result is a permanent connection between the parts which isabsolutely tight.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification in which a shallow grooveI5 is provided into which the material of the tube It is compressed bythe ring l1. With some materials such a construction may be desirable.While I have especially designed this invention for the use of tintubing which can be formed of indefinite lengths and cut on in lengthsto suit, it should be understood that a similar method of connection maybe applied to structures involving the use of tubing of other flexibleand collapsible materials.

Although a one-piece. tin tube is desirable for some purposes, tin isvery expensive and the top and neck require a considerable weight ofmaterial, and furthermore the edge of the top is easily bent out ofshape. A molded substance such as a phenolic condensation product on theother hand is much cheaper and will hold its shape. Furthermore theformation of a top-less tube of tin requires much less expensivemachinery than is required for a tube with an integral top.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a collapsible tubular member formed of softmaterial, a separately formed neck member of substantiallyincompressible material, and a seamless uniting ring of material harderthan the tubular member, said neck member having an outer wall of largerdiameter than the inside diameter of the main part of the tubularmember, said tubular member having a mouth portion of larger diameterthan the diameter of the main part and seated on the outer wall of theneck member, said ring surrounding the enlarged mouth of the tubularmember and being under tension and holding the tubular .member tightlyon the neck member.

' 2. A container comprising a collapsible tubular member formed of softmaterial, a separately formed neck member of substantiallyincompressible material, and a unitary uniting ring of material harderthan thetubular member, said neck member having an outer wall of largerdiameter than the inside diameter of an adjacent part of the tubularmember, said tubular member having a portion thinner than the main partand seated on said outer wall of the neck member, said ring being ofsubstantially the same inside diameter as the outside diameter of themain part of the tube and surrounding the mouth of the tubular memberand being under tension and holding the tubular member tightly on theneck member.

3. A container comprising a collapsible tubular member formed of softmaterial, a separately formed neck member of substantiallyincompressible material, and a uniting ring of material harder thanthetubular member, said neck member having an outer wall of largerdiameter than the inside diameter of the main part of the tubularmember, said tubular member having a mouth portion of larger diameterthan the diameter of the main part and somewhat thinner than the mainportion and seated on the outer wall of the neck member, said ringsurrounding the enlarged mouth of the tubular member and being undertension and holding the tubular member tightly on the neck member.

WALTER A. ROS.

